Job hunt: I'm liked but not hired -- I don't fit in with the culture. 6x! What does that mean & how to fix it?

Question

I am a 40-something woman with 20 years in high tech marketing communications and internal communications experience. Finding a job, until this August, has always been easy. Now, all of a sudden, I am repeatedly the final candidate in my job search, and am told that my work is great and THEY liked me, but they don't feel I would fit in with the corporate culture. Most of the time they don't even tell me what the corporate culture even is. If I am too old, wouldn't they know that on the first interview? What could I possibly be saying in final interviews that turn me from the top candidate to no job, over and over, because of corporate culture? What can I do in the final interview that's going to land me a job?

Answer 1

This is a tough one.

The primary reason that people are terminated from a job is in not getting along with co-workers. My feeling is that the people who are going to hire you like you in the first few minutes (first interview) but when they spend more time with you, they find things about you that will be problematic with the group you'd work with.

As a former owner of several companies, I had similar issues in hiring people. Things that would be the kiss of death for a potential employee (and I never told them this) were: someone who smokes (too much time outside), too talkative (too much time wasted), too much of a know-it-all (destroys team spirit), too much pontificating of a religious belief), and others.

You need to take a hard look at yourself and see if you have any abrasive qualities, anything that would get on the nerves of people after they have been around you for more than the first interview. It's likely that you won't be able to recognize these yourself. In that case, ask a friend - someone who will be brutally honest with you. It's my guess that the problem will be revealed if you do this. Once you know the problem, it's up to you to take steps to solve it.

Or, maybe you will soon find a place that's the perfect fit for you. Good luck.

Answer 2

First let me start by saying that whatever companies that have given you this lame excuse for not hiring you are not worth your time. Corporations are ultimately microcosms of the "real world" so it would seem to me that if you fit in the "real world" as a functioning member of our society than if given the opportunity you would fit into any corporate culture. If it would give you peace of mind in your next job searches try to meet people who are already employed there to get an idea about what kind of people thrive there. I'm not psychic but I think you may be getting this brush off because they may feel you are over-qualified (too much experience) and that you may not be trainable to fit into their established way of doing things. Try to reassure them of your willingness to grasp all parts of the processes and protocols they have in place while incorporating your knowledge and skill sets.

Answer 3

You may want to ask them about their corporate culture. You cannot make any changes to your approach until you know what you are up against. I might be worthwhile to go back to some of these companies and ask them to explain to you what they are talking about. Ask them to clarify what they mean.

Answer 4

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